NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Monday that more than 10,000 people whose indirect investments with Bernard Madoff prevented them from eligibility for billions of dollars will get to make claims against a $2.35 billion fund.

Bharara said Monday the government’s rules for disbursing the money allows defrauded victims to join the recovery.

He said eligibility will be open to those who invested with Madoff through feeder funds, investment groups and other pooled investment vehicles. Claims to the money must be made by Feb. 28.

The Madoff fraud was revealed five years ago when Madoff ran out of money to continue a multi-decade fraud that lost about $20 billion of investor money.